


Broken Mirrors and Half-Truths

by captainjaybird



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-16
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-07-24 10:09:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7504287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainjaybird/pseuds/captainjaybird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a near brush with death Kara finally sets her sights on Cat. But will their relationship have time to develop before a mystery villain threatens to take away everything they hold dear?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Shining low in the sky, the sun beats down on the soft white sand on the beach. The soft roar of the ocean provides comforting background noise, and Kara Danvers looks out at the ocean and sighs.

This beach is a place Kara comes when she needs to think. No one else is ever there, because the only way to reach it is to fly. The cliffs are steep all around it, creating a completely secluded retreat. Kara discovered it while flying around the outskirts of National City trying to clear her head once, and now it’s become one of the few secrets it doesn’t bother her to keep. She hasn’t even brought Alex here.

It’s been two months since Myriad, two months since her fateful battle with Non. He’s in a cell at the DEO, blinded and brain-damaged from her heat vision. Kara’s lasers had scorched so deep even Kryptonian healing couldn’t save him. Kara hasn’t visited him once. She doesn’t know if it’s her guilt over his condition or the revulsion she feels towards her uncle and his actions that keeps her away. Either way, all she knows is that he lives and she isn’t a killer—yet.

It’s the yet that brings Kara out to this beach. Would she have regretted it if she’d killed Non? Would being dead have been preferable to her warrior uncle than his current condition? Kara doesn’t know. Truthfully, the depths of her rage frighten her.

Kara had been ready to do anything to save Earth, including taking a life and giving her own. She knows that was a good reason, but that’s not all that was there. When Non had taunted her about her dead parents, Kara’s rage had burned so white-hot it had given her the energy needed to win their heat vision battle. Kara’s heat vision, more than any of her other powers, is tied to her emotions. Sometimes, a little bit of grief or rage is what kicks it into overdrive. Kara assumes it must be the same for her cousin, but she’s never asked him. Kal-El doesn’t carry the weight of the memory of a dead planet on his shoulders, and Kara doesn’t think he’d understand the wellspring of anger within her.

The only person who really seems to get it is Cat. Cat is the one person Kara has told how she’s angry at her mother for not saving Krypton. The wound is still raw, a child’s idealization of her mother shattered, and it almost hurts too much to admit. But Kara feels safe around Cat, and understood, and that was enough to get her talking.

Cat, Cat, Cat. Kara doesn’t know what she feels towards her boss. She’s admired her since before she even started working at CatCo, but she hadn’t _known_ the woman then. Not like she does now. Kara thinks that maybe she knows Cat better than anyone besides Carter.

There’s the Cat that everyone else knows, of course. Cold, cutting, ruthless. Cat can be those things, it’s true, but that’s really only scratching the surface. Cat cares more than almost anyone Kara knows. She’s so hard on her employees because she has an absolute dedication to the truth. Cat is a journalist because she wants to shape the story into something better. And more personally, she’s been kind to Kara, and not just as Supergirl.

Things have changed since Kara’s promotion. She’s always ‘Kara’ to Cat now, except on the rare occasions she annoys her. Sometimes when Cat looks at Kara, her eyes are soft. Kara doesn’t know what that means, but it makes her stomach flip in a way that isn’t unpleasant.

And besides being secretly kind, Cat is sharp and driven and funny. Kara likes being around her, and she’s probably one of the few people who can say that. After two years, Kara knows who Cat is, and she likes her.

Kara looks out at the ocean as the tide starts to come in. Her thoughts of Cat had distracted her from her brooding, and Kara thinks maybe she wants to go visit her. What kind of girl would Cat see right now, looking at her?

Kara uses her heat vision to blast a patch of sand and then cools it with her freeze breath. She’s made a piece of glass about the size of the shield on her chest. It’s not quite a mirror, but it reflects a little.

Kara looks at herself. She doesn’t think she looks like the Supergirl everyone else expects. There’s a hint of a frown in her brow, a sadness in her eyes, a tightness to her mouth. She looks as troubled as she feels. Kara wishes she knew how to shake this doubt and guilt and anger.

Cat might be the only one who can deal with this Supergirl, the one who’s not a perfect hero. Mind made up, Kara gets up from where she’d been sitting. A quick whirl around at superspeed shakes off all the sand from her cape and costume. Kara blasts off into the sky just as the sun sinks below the horizon.

\---------------

Cat stands out on her balcony, sipping a glass of bourbon after a long day’s work. It had been one of those days where it seems like everything that could go wrong did. The layouts gone to print had a spelling error that hadn’t been caught before the first thousand copies had been made, a man accused of murder was suing the Tribune for defamation, and her fashion editor had quit on the spot and been escorted screaming from the building after finally snapping.

Sometimes, when things get to be too much, Cat goes to go see Kara in her office, as her presence always calms her. Cat knows she shouldn’t indulge herself where her former assistant is concerned. She knows she’s walking a fine, dangerous line between employer/friend and something more. Her attraction to Kara Danvers is a harassment lawsuit waiting to happen, if the girl were the type to do such a thing. (She isn’t, and somehow the lack of consequences Cat faces makes it worse.) Still, Cat can’t keep herself away. She tells herself that since Kara doesn’t know and nothing will happen it’s fine, but Cat can’t stand lies, even from herself, and she knows that’s not true. Yet despite her best intentions she keeps getting closer.

She’d gone to Kara’s office today to see her and was disappointed when she wasn’t there. It _was_ after office hours, but Kara usually stays late if not called away on some Supergirl emergency. Cat wonders if it’s to make up for the times she’s away during normal hours, or if the girl simply likes CatCo that much. And yes, Cat knows. Of course Cat knows. She didn’t get to be an award-winning journalist and media mogul by missing the obvious. But her first confrontation with Kara had gone badly, Cat admits, and she’s waiting for Kara to tell her. Turning a blind eye still galls her, but Cat figures it’s her penance for trying to fire Kara the first time, and for shaking Kara’s trust in her further with everything that had happened after Adam.

Cat’s reasons for trying to fire Kara (or, more accurately, trying to fire Supergirl) still stand, but since then she’s realized a few things. First, Kara must have been desperate to keep her job to go to such elaborate lengths to try to fool Cat. Second, it’s just possible that Kara actually needs a day job to pay her rent and bills. And third, at this point, Cat can’t stand to send her away.

That last reason is selfish, Cat knows, but she’s never pretended to be an altruist, not even to herself. She needs Kara, though it makes her uncomfortable to admit it. Losing Kara as her personal assistant had been the biggest sacrifice Cat was willing to make, and she’d only done it because she _does_ care enough for the girl to do right by her—most of the time.

Cat blows a breath of air through her nose. She shouldn’t be standing here contemplating her relationship with Kara, wallowing in her disappointment that the girl hadn’t been there. Cat’s just turning to head inside when she hears the familiar flapping of a cape in the air. Interesting. It’s not all that often Kara comes to her as Supergirl. Cat turns back around.

Kara is floating in midair just above Cat’s eyeline, hair and cape blowing gently in the wind. Her arms are crossed over her chest, but rather than being assertive, the pose seems defensive, if the uncertain look on Kara’s face is anything to go by.

“Ms. Grant?” she asks. “Would you mind if I landed here for a minute?”

“Of course not, Supergirl. My balcony is always open to you.”

That seems to relax Kara a little, and she touches down gently on the balcony, uncrossing her arms and leaning back against the railing. She’s not three feet from where Cat is standing.

“Thank you,” Kara says, sounding more grateful than Cat thinks is natural for such a small kindness. “I was wondering...do you think we could talk?”

“I—of course.” Cat racks her brains for what Kara would want to talk about. She hasn’t published any controversial or critical articles about Supergirl lately, and as far as she’s aware there isn’t another Myriad-level threat.

“It’s nothing bad,” Kara reassures her, seeming to pick up on her confusion. “It’s just that talking to you...it helps me, sometimes. I feel like you understand. And you don’t judge me when I’m not...when I’m not the perfect hero. Not when it’s just us talking.”

“No one can be perfect all the time.” Cat mentally reminds herself not to add on ‘Kara.’ “Not even Supergirls.”

“I know...But it feels like I should be.”

“That’s a good way to burn yourself out. You do what you can, and find a way to live with the rest.”

“That’s what I’m having trouble with,” Kara admits. “Letting go of what happened in the fight with Non.”

“I don’t know what happened there,” Cat reminds her. “Just that you saved the day somehow.”

“The short version is, I defeated my uncle and flew the prison complex causing the broadcast into space. I nearly died but my s—an agent saved me.”

Cat barely, barely stops herself from gasping Kara’s name when she finds out she had almost lost her. Living in a world without Kara in it is unthinkable, and that has nothing to do with the fact that she’s Supergirl.

“You almost died?!” Cat says instead. “No wonder you can’t move on. Anyone would—”

“No,” Kara interrupts her. “That’s not what’s bothering me. I don’t _want_ to die, but I was okay with it, if it meant saving Earth. I would see my family again.” She pauses, and Cat takes a moment to absorb what she’s said. It disturbs her, Kara’s willingness to sacrifice herself. It’s part of what makes her a hero, and for the first time Cat wishes the girl had never put on the cape.

“What’s bothering me is what I did to Non in our fight. He’s blind and brain-damaged now, Cat...I did that.”

“You did what you had to do. He would have done the same or worse to you.”

“I know.” Kara looks away. “But the thing is, the reason I was able to beat him—I was angry. I used my anger to fuel my powers. I was so furious he would try to kill everyone on this planet, and then he taunted me about my parents. I just let all that anger boil over and I, I ended him. And I don’t feel bad about it. Isn’t that wrong? Shouldn’t I feel _guilty_?”

“If you’re looking for someone to tell you you’re wrong you’ve come to the wrong person.” Cat puts as much steel as she can in her tone. “Anger is natural. Everyone has it. And you may have hurt your uncle, but you did it to protect people. All of your anger came from a place of love. You love your parents, so of course you were angry when he threw their deaths in your face. And you, you actually care about every single person on this planet, and probably any other inhabited planets too. I get angry whenever someone hurts Carter. You? You’re like that for the whole world. Do you even know what kind of person that makes you?”

Kara finally looks back at her. “No. I don’t.”

Cat sighs. “It makes you what you are—just impossibly good. If we must use clichés, you have the heart of a hero. I’d never put something so trite into the Tribune, but it’s true. That’s who you are. Even when you’re angry.”

The tension leaves Kara’s shoulders, and she smiles for the first time. It’s small and unsure, not her usual blinding grin, but it’s there. _Cat_ put it there, and she tucks that knowledge into the secret place in her heart she barely admits exists.

“You always know what to say. Thank you, Cat.” Kara cocks her head to the side. “Duty calls. I have to go.”

“Go save the day, Supergirl,” Cat tells her. “You know where to find me.”

“I do.” Kara takes off into the night. Cat watches her until she fades out of sight, the glow of the city hiding the most luminous person in it.

\---------------

“It’s three Kryptonians,” Alex says over the comm. “Looks like stragglers left over from Non’s army. Kara, reinforcements are on their way but they won’t be there for another five minutes. You shouldn’t take these guys on alone.”

“They’re headed towards the heart of National City, Alex. I can’t let them hurt anyone.”

“Kara—”

“I’m going in,” Kara cuts her off, zeroing in on the Kryptonians’ position just outside the city. Alex is continuing to talk over the headset but Kara tunes her out, swooping in and slamming into the man on point in their triangular formation. The breath whooshes out of him as Kara forces him to the ground, leaving a crater in their wake. A quick punch to the head has him down for the count.

“Whatever you’re trying to do, I’ll stop you,” Kara tells the two remaining, a man and a woman. “Just like I stopped Myriad.”

“You took out our general,” the woman spits. “You will pay for that.”

“And here I thought Non was a lieutenant,” Kara responds. “Did he give himself a promotion?”

Enraged, both the Kryptonians charge at Kara. She ducks a punch from one and sweeps her leg out towards the other, hoping to trip him up. No such luck. He dives towards her and his head catches her in the stomach.

Kara stumbles back, winded. The female Kryptonian grabs her cape from behind and pulls. Kara lets herself lean into the grip, pushing off the ground with her legs and launching herself back towards her opponent. Her head hits the woman in the nose and it breaks with a sharp crack. The woman cries out and lets go of her cape, and Kara kicks outward and hits the side of her knee, dropping her to the ground.

There’s no time to make sure the woman stays there as the man grabs Kara from behind. She stomps on the instep of his foot, just like Alex taught her. Howling, he lets go of her, and Kara drives her elbow hard into his ribs. He chokes out a Kryptonian curse, doubling over, as Kara spins around, grabs his head, and drives her knee into it. He drops, out cold.

The woman is back in the fight now, hovering in the air to make up for her injured knee. She glares daggers at Kara.

“<You will know true pain when we are through,>” she growls in Kryptonian. “<Count on that.>”

“<Looks like you’re the one hurting,>” Kara responds, the feel of her native language still so natural in her mouth.

“<Don’t count on it,>” a voice says from behind her, and when Kara turns she sees their leader up and ready to fight again. In his hands he’s holding some kind of gun with a black glowing crystal powering it. “<Now!>”

The woman grabs Kara from behind, pinning her arms to her sides. Kara struggles against her iron hold as the man points the gun towards her. He pulls the trigger and black crackling energy hits Kara right in the chest.

As her eyes roll up and Kara goes limp, the last thing she hears is the laughter of the two Kryptonians as everything fades to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually wrote this first chapter while chilling at the beach! Hope you all enjoy :)


	2. Chapter 2

Kara groans, slowly opening her eyes, vision blurry. She thinks she sees something out of the corner of her eye, someone taking off, but she can’t be sure. She focuses on her hearing but detects no heartbeats. The other Kryptonians are gone.

Kara forces herself up, rubbing her eyes until she can see clearly again. Her night vision is far better than any human’s, and she’s definitely alone in the desert, three impact craters around her from where the other Kryptonians must have taken off. Apparently the one she’d knocked out hadn’t stayed down long. It’s strange, that they’ve just left her here, mostly unharmed.

They fired that energy weapon at her, the one that rendered her unconscious, Kara remembers. She feels...much better than she has any right to, honestly. There’s something of a full-body soreness, almost as if she’d been stretched to her limit, but other than that? She feels fine. No, she feels great. Normally she’d be discouraged at losing a fight, but she knows she was close and that she’ll get them next time. Hell, it even seems like their fancy gun didn’t do much. Kara laughs to herself, relieved. They’d bought themselves enough time to get away, but they’ll be back, and this time she’ll be ready.

Kara brushes the dirt off her suit. She should probably call Alex, but she doesn’t really want to spend the rest of the night getting poked and prodded at the DEO. No harm no foul, right? She’ll tell her later. Maybe after some time has passed and her sister can see that she’s fine, up and at ‘em in good fighting shape. Alex worries so much, she’s going to give herself grey hair by the time she’s 35.

Shaking her head, Kara takes off and hovers experimentally. She feels fine, but she’s not stupid. Flying over the city untested when she’s just been unconscious puts her at risk of crashing into a building or something. Kara darts back and forth a few times, swooping and diving. She whoops, elated. Sometimes she feels like she never takes enough time to appreciate the simple joy of flying. The moon is shining bright and high, the lights of the city twinkling from miles away, and she’s doing something only a handful of beings on Earth can do. Funny how it took a rough fight to remind her. She supposes it’s so rarely she has a close call that it’s made her remember to live a little.

Reassured she won’t suddenly fall out of the sky, Kara heads back to the city. She thinks it’s only around nine o’clock. Her phone is still wedged in the compartment in her boot, but there’s easier ways to check. Kara spots a man walking on the street, and lands beside him.

“Hey,” she says. “Do you have the time?”

“The, uh, the time?” The man blinks, then checks his watch. “It’s, um, 9:05 pm. Why are you…” He trails off, uncertain.

“Asking you? Well, it’s hard to wear a watch while fighting crime. Too much chance it would get smashed.” Kara shrugs then smiles brightly. “Thanks!”

“You’re welcome,” he offers, still seeming thrown, but Kara quickly takes off, head cocked, listening to the sounds of a mugging a couple blocks away. She’s there in an instant. She feels frustrated that some people feel like the best way to help themselves is to hurt others.

“That’s enough,” she says firmly, snapping the mugger’s knife in half with a finger. He backs away, eyes widening.

“S-Supergirl!”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Kara says. “So it would probably be best if you just waited here until the police arrive.” She turns to the victim, a petite woman who looks to be in her 40’s. Kara hates to see someone so shaken. “Are you alright? Do you think you could call them?”

The woman nods, though Kara can see that her hands are still trembling. “I can call them. I’m...I’m okay. Thanks to you.”

Kara smiles. “That’s my job.” The mugger starts to edge away, hoping to escape her notice. “Hey! You stay right here, mister. If you didn’t want to go to jail you shouldn’t have tried to hurt someone.”

The man sighs and stops, and Kara makes polite conversation with the woman, Sarita, until the police come. It seems to calm her down a little, and Kara reflects that this kind of thing is the best part of her job—using a little kindness to help make someone’s worst day not quite so scary.

“He was trying to mug her when I stepped in,” Kara explains to the police. “The rest of the knife is over there,” she points, “if you want it for evidence.”

The police thank her for her help and Kara takes off again, on the lookout for the next minor disaster. Before she can find one, her comm’s buzzing in her ear.

“Kara?” It’s Alex. “Kara? We haven’t heard from you since the fight started and we just saw you in the city on satellite. The trackers and vital sign readers in your suit must have been fried. I’ve been trying to get through to you for fifteen minutes but your comm only just started working.” She sounds more worried than Kara has heard since Myriad.

“I’m sorry,” Kara says, ashamed at having caused Alex such distress. “I should have called. They hit me with some kind of energy weapon, it must have damaged the electronics in the suit. But _I’m_ fine, I promise. I feel great, actually.”

“Are you still with the Kryptonians?”

“They got away. That beam knocked me out and they were gone when I woke up. But they’ll be back and I’ll be ready for them.”

“They knocked you out?! You need to come in and get checked over. Why didn’t you call me?”

“Alex, it’s okay, really. There’s so much of the night left, I just wanted to do some more superhero-ing. I really don’t want to come into the DEO again.” Kara winces, aware that she’s starting to whine a little.

“I can’t force you to come in.” Alex sighs. “But I really wish you would. At least go home. Please.”

“Okay,” Kara reluctantly agrees. “I’ll stop by tomorrow. You’ll see that I’m good, I swear.”

Alex grudgingly signs off and Kara makes her way back to her apartment. She feels a little badly for not calling in, but she’s tired of having to check in for every little thing with the DEO. Can’t they trust her to know her own limits?

Floating in through her open window, Kara crosses quickly to the kitchen and grins. Sure enough, she’s got some leftover take-out, which she warms up with a quick blast of heat vision before chowing down. Bored and restless, she scans her apartment for something to do. Her eyes land on her easel, with a half-finished painting propped on it. Perfect.

Kara walks over to it. The work in progress is a landscape of Argo City, Rao sinking below the horizon as the lights of the crystal spires twinkle in the twilight. It’s beautiful, but tonight she doesn’t want to be reminded of all she’s lost. Not when she’s finally starting to feel free and clear after Myriad. Getting knocked out in her latest fight...Kara feels like she should reset her priorities. Maybe if she hadn’t been so caught up in the past she would have been paying closer attention, fought better. It’s time to be in the present. Kara doesn’t want to survive Krypton’s loss, she wants to _live_.

Gently, she puts down the old canvas to finish later, and pulls out a fresh one. It’s a little late to be starting a painting, but technically Kara doesn’t actually need to sleep. She just does so out of force of habit, chasing a sense of normalcy in her extraordinary world. But now that she thinks about it, there’s much better things that she could be doing with her time. Starting with this.

Kara decides to paint a group portrait of all the people in her life she couldn’t live without. She hasn’t done enough portrait work and it’s a great way to remind herself of everything she has to be thankful for. Alex, Eliza, J’onn, James, Winn, Lucy, Cat.

Cat. Kara stops. Well. Kara knew she liked Cat, of course, but the idea of her being so essential? That’s new. Not untrue, but a little surprising. Cat’s the only person in this group that doesn’t know she’s Supergirl. Kara wonders if that should change. Normally when she thinks about this she’s full of doubts, but now? What she’s really seeing is possibilities.

Humming to herself, she sketches out the rough layout of the painting in pencil, deciding on a light source and working in the outlines of the shadows. She works on the color blocking deep into the night, and by the time the sun rises, the rough shapes are finally starting to take recognizable form. Kara’s in the groove and would love to continue painting, but it’s time to get ready for work.

She walks over to her clothes rack. She wants to wear something more...professional. Adult. Something Cat would like. She doesn’t know why that matters, but it does. Picking out black slacks, a white button-down shirt, and a navy blazer Alex had once given her, Kara checks herself out in the mirror. She looks good. She just _knows_ it’s gonna be a good day at work.

————————

Cat purses her lips at the latte she’d received from her new assistant Daniel, whom she always calls David. He’s as far from Kara as you could possibly get, short and stocky with dark skin and an easy confidence. That confidence is accompanied by basic competence, which is why he’s managed to keep his job when the previous four assistants had barely lasted a week each. Still, Cat hasn’t had a hot latte since she’d promoted Kara. It’s just one of the things she misses about having the girl as her assistant.

The girl who is apparently waiting in Cat’s office and looking, well, _good_. Dangerously good, Cat has to admit as she carefully schools her expression to neutral. If she’d been attracted to Kara in those hideous cardigans...she wasn’t prepared for the sight of her in actual well-fitting and fashionable attire.

“Kara,” she says, priding herself on how even her voice is. “I wasn’t expecting to see you this morning.”

“I had a great idea for a feature.” Kara grins broadly at her. “I wanted to come in and pitch it first thing.”

Cat raises an eyebrow. _That’s_ new. Kara has chosen to become a reporter, but so far had reported only on assignments she’d been given. And she’s never written a feature; those are usually reserved for more senior writers. Cat never thought Kara would have the guts to ask for one, especially not so soon.

“Pitch away.”

“We report a lot about Supergirl. And I think that’s really great. But last night I was up, working on something, and it made me remember how incredible normal people can be. Like you, Ms. Grant.”

“Me?” Cat carefully gives no sign of the rush of warmth she feels at Kara’s compliment, though she also balks a bit at being lumped in with other “normal” people. She knows she’s extraordinary, although perhaps not in the way Kara is.

Kara nods with sincerity. “You influence this whole city. The whole tone of National City, you set it, and you’ve chosen to make it one of hope. That _is_ pretty amazing, if you ask me. And I want my feature to do that too.”

“So what is this feature?” Cat crosses her arms, fighting back a smile. Kara is practically glowing.

“I want to report on the everyday heroes of National City. The schoolteacher who pays out of her own pocket to buy kids lunch on the weekends so they don’t go hungry. The former addict who founded his own rehab and helps others get clean. Those are just a couple of the people I’ve met here. I want to show everyone you don’t have to be Supergirl to be super. Maybe they can’t lift a crashed car but they can still make a big difference.”

Cat smiles at Kara’s use of “they” instead of “we.” _Slipping, Kara_ , she thinks. “It’s a good idea. But can you execute it? You don’t have a lot of experience yet.”

“I know I can,” Kara says earnestly. The confidence is new on her. It’s attractive, but Cat feels a shiver of unease—the last time Kara had shed her bumbling persona, Cat had ended up thrown off her own balcony. Perhaps it’s best to test the waters.

“Mmm,” Cat hums. “Why don’t you have a seat.”

“Okay…” Kara’s brow furrows in confusion, but she sits straight and tall on the couch. Kara’s usual cringing and fidgeting is unusually absent.

Cat sits down across from her. “What was this project you were working on last night? Something for the Tribune?”

“Oh. No, no. It was personal.” Cat waits for her to continue, curiosity rising. After a few moments, Kara does. “I paint, in my free time. Last night, I was working on a portrait of the people I’m closest to.”

Cat falters. She had no idea Kara had any artistic ability. Part of her is afraid to learn too much about the girl, afraid of becoming more fixated than she already is. Another part of her wants to ask who was in the painting, but surely that must be crossing a line. And does she really want to know who made the cut, when she herself undoubtedly didn’t?

“And that inspired you?” she asks instead.

Kara’s smile is blindingly bright. “My friends always inspire me. No one can go it alone.”

“I suppose you’re right. Write that feature. I’m not promising to publish it, but if it’s good enough I’ll consider it. But Kara—I don’t want you slacking on your other assignments, you understand me?”

“Of course, Ms. Grant.” Kara gets up to leave. “I promise I’ll keep up. Thanks for listening to my idea.”

Cat waves her fingers in dismissal and watches Kara go, thinking to herself. Yes, Kara is more confident. But when she was under the influence of what Cat later learned to be red kryptonite, she’d had an edge to her. Been a little meaner, even at the very beginning. Cat regrets that she’d initially rewarded that behavior. But since Kara had been so horrified by everything that had transpired, Cat figures she’s had no lasting negative influence.

So, red kryptonite Kara was hard and callous. Kara today hadn’t had a hint of that. If anything, she had been even more sunny than usual. Cat can probably safely rule out red k. Some of the tension seeps out of her shoulders.

So why is Kara more confident? She’d been normal at work earlier this week, as far as Cat knows. The only thing Cat can imagine may have triggered it is the pep talk she’d given Supergirl last night, where she’d reassured her that she was strong and good, even with her anger and grief. Cat smiles. Maybe Kara had finally taken her words to heart. Maybe she's just reaching the potential she’s had all along.

If she’s being honest with herself, Cat feels a thrill of excitement thinking of where a more self-assured Kara Danvers may lead her.

————————

Kara’s at her desk working on the feature when the call from Alex comes in.

“What’s up?”

“Kara,” Alex answers. “I didn’t want to call you in before you got checked out, but I don’t really have a choice. There’s someone destroying a bridge by Midtown. We can’t know for certain because they’re wearing a full-face mask, but it looks like a humanoid female, and she’s flying.”

“I’m on my way,” Kara says, already shrugging off her blazer and making for the stairwell.

It takes her less than a minute to make her way to Midtown. True to Alex’s word, there’s what appears to be a woman hovering in the air. She’s dressed in a black catsuit, with a black mask covering her face and wrapping around her head, hiding any hair she might have. On her chest is the Kryptonian glyph for death.

“Who are you?” Kara shouts.

“It doesn’t matter.” Her opponent’s voice is distorted by her mask, made impersonal and unfeeling. “What matters is that you came, like I knew you would if I endangered innocent people. You just can’t help yourself, no matter what it does to you. I’m here to end that pain. You may call me Mercy, if you wish.”

“I’m not in pain. You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to hurt anyone.” Kara puts her hands up, trying to appear nonthreatening. “Please, I don’t want to fight you.”

“You’re lying, or in denial. And the time for talking is over.”

Before Kara can blink, Mercy swoops in and sends her reeling back with a punch to the jaw. She’s fast—as fast as Kara. And as strong. Kara flies straight at her and catches her in the stomach with her head, knocking her back in the air. Before Kara can capitalize on her advantage, Mercy has righted herself and kicks out, catching Kara in the gut. Kara coughs, the blow actually having _hurt_. Mercy grabs her by the cape and flings her into the bridge, stonework crumbling around her.

“Vasquez!” Kara calls desperately into her comm. “I think she’s Kryptonian. As fast as me and as strong. And she knows how to fight. I need backup, now!”

“They’re on route, Supergirl. You just need to hold on another minute.”

Kara clenches her jaw and sends a blast of heat vision in Mercy’s direction. Mercy dodges it and taps the side of her mask. The lenses around her eyes come down and then she’s shooting off her own heat vision, catching Kara off-guard and melting the last steel support holding up the bridge. There’s still a car on it, trapped.

“No!” Kara flies as fast as she can and picks up the car. Mercy’s heat vision hits her in the back, and Kara grits her teeth against the scorching pain. She puts the car safely down before turning and launching herself at Mercy. They hit the ground hard, trading blows that shake the earth around them.

“Supergirl, get clear!” Hank shouts. Kara shoots away, hearing the sound of Kryptonite bullet equipped guns unlading on their target. But Mercy artfully dodges and speeds off. Kara lands on the ground beside Hank, exhausted and hurting.

“Who was that?” he asks her.

“I don’t know,” she replies, “but I don’t think we’ve seen the last of her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the long delay between chapters! I moved apartments and then was traveling. I'm starting school soon so that might affect my update speed, but it shouldn't be a month-long wait again :)
> 
> Many thanks to my excellent editor krystalgoderitch!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> much thanks to my editor krystalgoderitch!

Alex insists Kara get checked out at the DEO. Kara doesn’t argue the point, the burn on her back actually painful. Still, by the way it’s itching Kara can tell it’s already healing. The doctors at the DEO confirm as much.

“That was some fight,” Alex says after they leave. “Do you have any idea what she was talking about? I was listening over the comms and it seemed almost like she knew you.”

Kara shakes her head. “It’s hard to tell with the mask, but I feel like I’d remember meeting someone like that. And she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. I’ve never been in less pain.”

“Even with the burned back?”

“I don’t mean physical pain. I’ve just...felt really happy lately. Like I’m on top of the world. Maybe I’ve finally been able to leave Krypton behind.”

Alex’s eyes go soft and she reaches out and puts a hand on Kara’s knee. “Kara...grief doesn’t really work that way. It doesn’t just magically go away. I know it’s been years, but you’ll probably always have some sadness over losing your world. Who wouldn’t? It’s part of what makes you hu—a person with feelings.”

“But I’m _not_ human,” Kara says, pouncing on Alex’s slip. “Maybe it works differently for me. Look, all I know is that I’m feeling really good right now. Don’t you want that?”

“Of course I do. But you’ve been acting a little off since that fight with those three Kryptonians. Not coming in to get checked out afterwards, and now talking about being “over” Krypton...I’m just worried about you. You’re being a little reckless.”

“I mean, how careful do I have to be?” Kara says with a half-grin and a shrug. “I’m basically indestructible.”

“You can’t start thinking like that!” Alex snaps, and Kara bristles at her overprotectiveness. “You _can_ be hurt, you almost died taking down Myriad. It’s dangerous to go out in the field with that mindset. Not just for you, but for everyone around you. Don’t make me force you to get a psych eval. You know I hate that kind of paperwork.” Kara can tell she’s only half-joking.

She sighs. “Okay, okay, I promise I’ll be careful.” Does it count as a lie if she half-means it?

They both jump when Kara’s phone blares out the Star Wars ringtone she’d set for Winn.

“I should probably take this. Winn usually only calls during work hours if something’s gone crazy wrong at CatCo.”

Alex nods in agreement and steps back as Kara picks up her phone.

“Wha—” Kara starts to ask, but Winn’s already talking, sounding panicked.

“Kara, you have to get here right away. Someone tried to mail Cat a bomb, but it went off in the mailroom. It was inside a jack-in-the-box.”

Kara hates what she has to ask next. “Is your dad still—”

“—in prison? Yeah, this wasn’t him. But whoever it was, it has Cat really rattled and I think you’re the only one who might be able to find out why. And it probably wouldn’t hurt to have Supergirl so close by.”

“Right.” Kara’s curiosity gnaws at her. “What makes you think I’m the only one she’d talk to about this?”

“Because she’s always been different with you.” Kara can practically hear Winn rolling his eyes through the phone at her incomprehension. “I don’t know why, but that’s not important right now. You need to get here ASAP.”

“Right. I’ll be there in five minutes.” She hangs up and turns to Alex. “I need to go. Someone sent a bomb to CatCo.”

Alex’s eyes widen. “For you?”

“No, for Cat. But I need to get over there now.”

“Of course. Go. But be careful. You’re still not at 100% after that fight.”

Kara gives her a thumbs up and rushes out, getting to CatCo in record time and changing on the roof. She’s surprised to find that Cat’s not in her office.

“Where did she go?” she asks Winn. “Home? To the police station?”

“I don’t think so.” Winn furrows his brow. “She said she’d be back. She’s been gone for about five minutes now. I think the cops said they were going to put her under police protection, and the officers are still here.”

Kara bites her lip. She really wants to find Cat, make sure she’s alright. She wishes she could have been there when Cat first got the news.

A horrible thought strikes her. “The bomb...did it kill anyone?”

“No. But two people were injured.”

Kara nods. “Will you text me when she comes back?”

“Of course.”

Kara heads back to her own office. She couldn’t be more shocked to find Cat Grant there, sitting on the couch she’d shoved in the corner of her office.

“Cat—Ms. Grant?”

Cat looks up, and there’s a pinched kind of tension in her face that Kara hasn’t seen since the incident with Livewire.

“Kara. I hope you don’t mind me being in your office without you here. I suppose I just wanted to be somewhere without glass walls.”

“It’s okay.” Kara sits down beside her, still a little dumbfounded. “I’m glad you feel safe here.”

Cat laughs hollowly. “There’s not really anywhere in the city safer, is there?”

Kara thinks she should feel panicked over the insinuation that Cat knows who Kara is, but she doesn’t. Right now, she mostly just wants to make Cat feel better, to slow down the still rapid beating of her heart.

“What happened?” she deflects.

Cat looks at her. “Have you ever heard of the Prankster?”

Kara quickly flips through her memories of conversations with Kal about the villains he’s fought. “I think he fought Superman a few times? Practical jokes but lethal, kind of like a discount Joker.”

“That’s what most people know. What they _don’t_ know is that before he was the Prankster he was Oswald Loomis, host of _The Uncle Oswald Show_. After the ratings began to permanently decline, I cancelled it. He just snapped. His first “pranks” were attempts to kill me, but Superman stopped him. His obsession with getting revenge seemed to transfer to Superman then. I didn’t think I’d have to deal with him again, especially after I moved away from Metropolis.”

Kara reaches out and takes her hand. “I’m sorry. But you know this isn’t your fault.”

“No, no one could have predicted this. But still. Two of my employees are in the hospital now. I have a duty to provide a safe working environment. And Carter…”

Kara jumps up, prepared to fly off and get him if necessary. “Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. For goodness sake, sit back down.” Kara does. “I already spoke to his father, who lives in San Diego. Carter is going to stay with him until all this blows over. He’s on his way now.”

“Good.” Kara purses her lips, wondering how far she can push. Her usual trepidation is noticeably absent. She supposes such extreme circumstances mean the rules are a little different. “And you? How are you feeling?”

“How do you think I’m feeling?” Cat’s words are harsh but the bite that would normally be in her tone is gone. “Worried. Guilty. Perhaps even a little, well, scared.” Cat looks away at that admission, inspecting her nails and feigning nonchalance. Kara blinks. She can’t believe Cat just admitted that to her.

“I’d be scared too. You know, if some psycho was coming after me. It’s a scary situation.”

“Hmmm,” Cat hums noncommittally. “Yes, I’m sure you’ve _never_ dealt with anyone dangerous before.”

And there it is again, that no-so-subtle hint that Cat knows. Why does Kara feel excited by that possibility? For a wild, crazy moment she considers just telling her, but she doesn’t want it to be like this, when Cat is just looking for someone to hold onto. She wants it to be on more equal footing. It seems important, that she and Cat share it together that way.

It’s almost funny, that now Kara is thinking of when to tell her, not if. It feels almost inevitable. Kara’s drawn to Cat, in a way she’s starting to realize she doesn’t fully understand.

“You can stay here if you want,” Kara offers.

“I really should be getting back to my office. I don’t want to look like I’m hiding. Image is everything, you know.”

“Yeah, I get it. Don’t want the board to smell blood in the water. But my office is always open to you.”

Cat gives her one of those rare smiles Kara has only seen a handful of times, small and completely genuine. Kara’s stomach flips.

“Thank you. I might come down here a little more often while all this is going on. But for now—CatCo won’t run itself, and I need to get back to work.”

Kara says her goodbyes and walks her out, conscious the whole time about the butterflies that seem to have taken root in her stomach.

\---------------

The next few days pass by fairly uneventfully, although Cat does come down to Kara’s office a little more than usual. “To escape the constant police presence,” she says, and Kara smiles and doesn’t question the excuse. Cat wants to spend time with her; she’s not going to jeopardize that.

Kara tries not to get lulled into a false sense of security. Still, it’s hard to remain on alert when things seem so normal.

Normal, that is, until Saturday. Kara is watching TV with Alex when suddenly static erupts across the screen. It settles on the image of a man alone in a bare room, wearing a garish green suit with an unhinged look in his eyes.

“Supergirl!” he crows. “I do so hope you’re watching this. I’ve tangled with your cousin but haven’t gotten to match wits with you.”

“Prankster!” Kara leaps out of her seat. “It’s him!”

“Now, what’s funnier than the old snake in a tube trick? Real snakes in the tubes! I’ve released five highly venomous black mambas into the sewer system, Supergirl, and you better find them before anyone else does.” He cackles maniacally before the image fades out.

“It’s probably a diversion,” Alex says almost immediately.

“I know. But I have to get the snakes. They’ll kill any human who stumbles across them. I need you to go watch Cat. Promise me!”

“I will. But it’s going to be tough to explain why I’m there.”

Kara runs a hand across her face. “Maybe watch her from a distance. I don’t know! Just…keep her safe.”

“Okay. Go, I’ll do it.”

Kara is flying out the window almost before Alex finishes her sentence. In a flash, she’s in the sewers, trying not to gag as the smell hits her sensitive Kryptonian nose. Her comm crackles to life.

“Supergirl *kzzt*...snakes in *kzzt*...use superhearing to *kzzt*...careful!”

“Vasquez!” Kara shouts. “I can barely hear you. Being underground must be affecting the connection.”

Static is her only response. Clenching her jaw, Kara thinks. Vasquez said “superhearing.” It’s a long-shot, but…

She stretches out with her senses, closing her eyes and focusing on her ears. She tries to filter out the sounds of rushing water, her own heart beating, the trundle of cars overhead. Then...there! A faint hissing to the northwest.

Racing through the tunnels, Kara follows the sound of the snake’s hissing and spitting. It sounds agitated, probably antagonized by the unfamiliar environment. She stops before she rounds the final corner. What is she going to do with it? She doesn’t want to kill it. With a flash of insight, she remembers that snakes are cold-blooded. A quick burst of her freeze breath might put it to sleep.

Kara steps into view. The snake, seeing her, lunges forward, but she blows out a gust of frigid air and the snake slows and then stops, lying motionless. It’s not dead—Kara can still hear its slowed-down heart beat.

She takes off her cape and uses it as a make-shift bag for the black mamba, already listening for the next one. Four more to go.

Ten minutes later, she’s tracked down and frozen them all. She emerges from the sewers and heads straight to National City Zoo, touching down outside the reptile hall.

“I have five black mambas in my cape,” she tells the startled zookeeper. “Do you have some place they can be held until animal control arrives? They’re starting to wake up.”

“I—of course, right this way.” The zookeeper hurries off and Kara follows him, promptly depositing the snakes in an empty exhibit. As soon as she’s reattached her cape, she takes to the sky and tries to contact Alex. No answer. Sucking in a breath, she calls the DEO.

“Vasquez, I got all the snakes. They’re waiting for pickup at National City Zoo. Do you have a location on Alex? I sent her to watch Cat and I can’t reach her.”

“Copy that, Supergirl. From the tracker in her phone it looks like she was in the lobby of Cat’s apartment building, but biometric signs indicate she’s unconscious. Police scanners are showing there was an incident at the building.”

Kara gasps. “I have to go!” She hurtles through the air towards the penthouse, only just reminding herself to stay below Mach 1, so as not to cause all the windows in the city to break.

She doesn’t slow down until she’s in the lobby, dropping to Alex’s side. There’s a nasty gash on her sister’s forehead but a quick x-ray scan shows no broken bones.

“Alex!” Kara half-shouts, hand gently cupping her face. “Alex, wake up! Please be okay, please.”

Alex’s eyes flutter half-open. “Kara…” she groans. “He took me by surprise. I don’t know—”

“Shhh. It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

“Cat. You need to find Cat.”

Kara’s stomach drops. She’s torn between the pressing urge to see if Cat’s okay and her need to not leave her injured, vulnerable sister. Alex seems to sense her dilemma.

“Go,” she says as firmly as she can. “Go, I’ll be fine. Find her.”

Kara bites her lip, but she sees emergency services already coming. “I’ll come back as soon as I can,” she promises, then uses superspeed to go up 30 flights of stairs in a matter of seconds. Cat’s door is splintered and hanging open, and Kara finds her legs suddenly shaky.

“Cat?” she calls out, stepping in and scanning the apartment with her x-ray vision. There’s broken furniture everywhere and no one in sight. Scrawled on the wall is a message:

_Come and find her, Supergirl. You’ve got 60 minutes after 7 o’clock, or Cat loses all nine of her lives._

Kara glances at the clock on the wall. 7:25. Nearly half her time gone. She has to work fast. She can’t even think about what will happen if she’s too late.

She shoots out of a shattered window. Where would Prankster have gone? Then, Kara remembers. His canceled show. It had been shot in Metropolis, but it’s a good bet he’d go for the dramatic irony of killing Cat in one of her own studios, cameras rolling. Kara flies over the buildings, scanning them with her x-ray vision. Confused, she realizes one’s been lined with lead. The studios are soundproofed too. She’s going to have to go in completely blind.

Kara crashes through the roof. The first thing she notices is Cat sitting in a chair, tied up with Christmas lights and gagged with an ornament. _Christmas in July_ , whispers a small part of her brain, while the rest is occupied by the feelings that just hit her like a freight train.

Concern, worry, protectiveness, _oh god what will I do if she leaves me?_ The thought of not saving her feels like drowning, the air turning into lead in her lungs, her heart pounding faster than it ever has on Earth. _Rao_ , Kara realizes, _I couldn’t bear living without her. And that...that means…_

_I’m in love with Cat Grant._

Kara nearly falls out of the air. Prankster takes advantage of her emotional turmoil and steps out of the shadows, pressing down on the button of an air horn.

She drops like a stone. This is no ordinary air horn, used to scare people for a laugh. It’s emitting sound at a frequency Kara feels might split her head apart. She’s on her knees, hands over her ears, eyes watering, and she’s sure she must be screaming.

It suddenly stops, and Prankster laughs. “Humans can’t even hear that, you know. Just you and the big guy. Here, have a hand.” He offers his out to her.

Kara takes it, intent on pulling him down. It’s a mistake. Her whole body goes rigid as thousands of volts of electricity course through her. Her jaw clenches shut and the air crackles around her. She falls back when he lets go, smoking.

“My joy buzzer.” Prankster’s lips curl into a sneer. “And if that’s what it did to you, just _imagine_ what it’ll do to her.”

Kara can barely move, lying on the floor, trembling. But then Prankster starts advancing towards Cat and she forces herself up, aching muscles screaming in protest. Prankster’s back is to her, probably assuming she’s down for the count, intent on making her watch Cat die. His error is the only chance she’s got.

Silently, she launches herself towards him, flying unsteadily until they both slam into a wall. He grunts at the impact and Kara quickly reaches in and crushes the joy buzzer strapped to his hand.

“That’s enough,” she forces out, trying to put strength she doesn’t feel into her voice. “You’re finished here.”

Prankster giggles. “Doesn’t matter. Killing Cat would have been a nice bonus, but I did the job I was hired to do.”

“Hired?” Kara shoves him against the wall a little harder. “By who? For what?”

“I’ve built my reputation on never telling that.” Prankster grins. “I sell myself out as a nuisance for hire. Getting to stick it to the Supers and getting paid...it’s the best of both worlds.”

“Tell me,” Kara growls, grabbing him tighter. “Tell me now!”

Prankster just shakes his head, and then his left hand twitches a little. Green gas comes out from the bowtie on his suit and Kara coughs, dropping him.

She stumbles back, knees buckling. The gas must have been full of Kryptonite particles. She can practically feel it burrowing into her lungs, making her sick and powerless. Opening her eyes, she realizes that Prankster is gone, having fled out the door. She could catch him, she _could_ fight through the weakness, but Cat is more important right now. Cat comes first.

Kara makes her way over to her, feet dragging a little. Kneeling down, she gently removes the gag from Cat’s mouth.

“Supergirl,” Cat breathes. “You came. Are you okay?”

“Never better,” Kara croaks, trying to shoot her a winning smile. It probably looks more like a grimace. “What about you?”

Kara’s hands are shaking as she unties Cat. She’s sure it’s the Kryptonite poisoning and not her proximity to the woman. Cat seems to ponder her answer for a moment.

“I’ll be alright. You got here just in time. He hadn’t done anything other than tie me up in those horribly tacky decorations.”

Having untied her, Kara stands up, leaning against the chair. Cat smells very nice, she notices.

“Let me call the authorities and they’ll get you home. I’d take you myself but…” Kara winces, “I don’t think I’m up to it right now.” _I’ll get to fly with her some other time_ , she promises herself.

Cat nods. “You look like you can barely stand.” She rises out of the chair she’d been tied to. “Here. Sit.”

Kara considers trying to tough it out and stand, but decides it’s less embarrassing to take a seat than to potentially fall over. She calls the DEO, and soon they’re on their way. She and Cat settle into a comfortable silence, Cat’s hand resting on her shoulder. Even now, with her worn out from the Kryptonite, the touch feels electric to Kara.

When Cat’s not looking, she takes the opportunity to observe her. Kara doesn’t know how she’d never noticed Cat was so beautiful. She knew she was attractive, of course, but...wow. Even rumpled and slightly dirty after a kidnapping, Cat radiates poise and grace. Kara decides right then and there she’s not going to just sit on her feelings. No, she’s going to pursue Cat Grant, and she’s going to do it as Kara Danvers. She wants Cat, and she doesn’t know if Cat wants her, but she’s sure going to try.

Cat catches her staring, and quirks an eyebrow and purses her lips in a way Kara knows means she’s suppressing a smile. “And what are you looking at, Supergirl?”

“You,” Kara answers, shrugging. She’s saved from the trouble of explaining when J’onn walks in the door.

“Cat Grant,” he says. “I have an agent ready to take you to a hotel. Your penthouse is being investigated as a crime scene, but as soon as they’re done my team will clean it up so you can go home.”

Cat frowns. “I don’t suppose I have any choice but to go with your “FBI” agents, do I?”

“We’re not detaining you,” J’onn assures her. “This is just for your safety and convenience.”

“You can trust them,” Kara adds. “I promise.”

Cat huffs a sigh. “Well, I suppose if Supergirl vouches for you, it can’t do any harm.” She looks at Kara. “Until next time.”

“Next time,” Kara agrees, and watches her leave.

“Are you alright?” J’onn asks. “You look pale, and I noticed you haven’t stood up yet.”

“I’ll be fine. I have some Kryptonite dust in my lungs, but I think I’ll be okay if I just sleep it off. Is Alex…?”

“She’ll be okay. She has a pretty nasty concussion, though. I’ve forced her to take three days off and then she’s on desk duty for a week.”

Kara smiles weakly. “She must have loved that.”

J’onn just grimaces in reply. An agent comes up to let them know they’ve tracked Prankster to an abandoned warehouse and are gathering a strike team.

“He was working for someone,” Kara tells J’onn. “As a distraction. I don’t know for who or for what, but we need to catch him and find out.”

“ _You_ need to rest,” J’onn says pointedly. “We’ll get him and investigate. One of our medics here will check you out, and then an agent will take you home.”

Kara sighs in defeat, waiting patiently while the doctor runs all sorts of scanners over her and takes her temperature.

“Your powers aren’t completely gone,” the woman tells her, “but you should take it easy for a couple days while the Kryptonite works its way out of your system. I think it’s safe for you to go home. You should try to get as much rest as you can.”

Yawning, Kara agrees, and lets herself be led to a waiting DEO van. There’s some spare clothes in the backseat and she changes back into Kara Danvers, regular human. She really doesn’t need her neighbors seeing Supergirl walking into her apartment.

The drive home is quiet and uneventful, but one glance at the stairs leading up to her apartment has Kara’s limbs aching all over again. Normally they’re no problem at all, but right now she really wishes her building had an elevator.

Kara’s mouth falls open when she gets to her front door. It’s hanging off its hinges, handprints indented in the wood where someone had grabbed it. Her apartment looks like a tornado hit it. Furniture is overturned, paintings are scattered everywhere, and there’s pictures from Kara’s photo albums strewn across the floor. Carved on her wall, the S-shield. Someone knows who she is. And she has no idea what they want.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the length of time it took to update. I really have no excuse, I just partied too hard on the weekends, when I usually write XD 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Trickster is a Superman villain originally created in the 1940's (which is why his name is so dated). I altered his backstory just a little to have Cat be the one who canceled his show. I also had fun coming up with "pranks" for him to play :)


End file.
